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Wow, it’s been a long time since I wrote! I had a very busy summer in the garden. This New England summer was very mild, and the cooler than usual weather made for a lush and productive garden. It was an exceptional year for tomatoes, and as we head into October I am still picking. Most of my tomato plants got the blight, as usual, but this year it was so late as to not affect the fruit. In fact as the days get shorter the plants are having a last comeback and still producing. To prevent the fruit from splitting on the vine, I pick them under-ripe and mature them on the counter or in paper bags for a few days. The flavor is a bit tangier than the full sun ripened fruit, but they are still delicious. I will still have many green ones on the vine when the first frost comes in, so I’ve been perfecting my recipe for green tomato salsa in advance.

This time of year is almost as exciting for me as the spring. It is as much a time of abundance and good eating as the peak of summer. This may be because I usually plant a garden heavy on fall producing veggies like kale, peppers and potatoes, parsnips, beets and carrots, but it’s also a time for preparing foods for the winter. I’m spending my days chopping, stewing and freezing tomatoes, roasting hot and mild peppers and making chili sauces to spice up the long winter. I’ve got quite a few things going on in the kitchen as well as the garden.

The peppers had a nice year. I planted a mixed variety and like always, quickly lost track of what I planted where. While this might bother some, I find it exciting to watch the unknown plants grow and see how they eventually reveal themselves. This year we had a cayenne variety, jalapenos, poblanos, banana peppers, green chilies and regular old green bells. The mix was great, as some we used for stuffing, some for fresh sauces, some for cooked sauces, some roasted and jarred, and some fresh with dip. As peppers are perennial, I have even planted some in pots to bring inside and have for the winter. This is a first for me, but I have been reading up on it and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Another first for me is fermenting cayenne peppers for sauce. I’ve made plenty of hot sauce over the years, but I’ve never fermented the chilies before hand. It is exciting to watch them bubbling away on the top of the fridge. I have them soaking in a sugary Reisling mixed with 2 % salt. It can take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks for the fermentation to be completed, so I just bide my time and watch the process in fascination. I’m making up my own recipe, but there are quite a few good websites on the process, and here’s one I like. http://talesofakitchen.com/raw/fermented-hot-chili-sauce/

Remember to always wear gloves when handling hot chilies. Even the milder chilies can get under rings and nails and cause irritation and burning. Lingering chili oil can make itself known when you try to take out your contacts. Never never wipe your face or eyes. I have learned these lessons the hard way and I always wear the kind of rubber gloves you find in the doctors office. They fit close and keep the capsasin off the skin. Also, instead of using a cutting board and knife, try snipping the chilies with scissors right into the bowl. This will keep the oil out of the cutting board and therefore out of the next thing you cut on it.

One of my favorite things to do with the abundance of peppers is to make green chili sauce. I first had it prepared by a very good friend and former roommate Rachael Risley (nee. Coulehan), who makes it with a slow cooked pork shoulder. As it’s very difficult to get organic free range pork of any kind, let alone a shoulder roast, we usually make it with chicken. Served with cornbread or tortilla chips, it’s a hearty and satisfying dish perfect for the cooler fall temps. I make the sauce first, pour it over shredded or cubed chicken and bake it with cheese like a casserole. The trick to really good sauce is to roast the peppers first, skin and seed them and then make the sauce. Chopped and sauteed, they just don’t have the rich flavor that roasting adds. It is an extra step, but well worth the effort.

Blister the chilies on high heat, flipping once to get both sides. Put the chilies in a glass bowl, cover with a plate and let cool. This will steam the chilies and make it easier to remove the skins. When cool, remove the skin, seeds and ribs, reserving the liquid in the bowl. Set aside.

Green Chile Sauce

2 tbs olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbs flour

2 cups broth

a dozen or so roasted and seeded green chilies, about 2 cups (any variety, but mostly not too hot)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pot, saute the onions in the olive oil until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute two minutes more. Stir in the flour. Add the broth and cook until thick and bubbly. Add the chilies and cook for 5 minutes more. With an immersion blender puree the mixture, leaving some peppers and onions whole. If you don’t have an immersion blender, add 3/4 of the mixture to a blender, cover with a dish cloth to allow steam to escape and blend on high 1 minute. Return to pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over chopped or shredded chicken, pork or enchiladas. Enjoy!